Control of apparatus governing the passage of cars or vehicles along a railway.



No. 819,327. A A. PATENTED MAY 1-,.1906.

' M. M. VAN A. VAN WYOK.

GONTROLOF APPARATUS GOVERNING THE PASSAGE OF CARS 0R VEHIGLES 2 SHEETS-SHEER \1.

ALONG A RAILWAY. APPLICATION FILED NOV.10, 1905.

No. 819,327. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

' M. M. VAN A. VAN WYOK. GONTROLOP APPARATUS GOVERNING THE PASSAGE 0P CARS OR VEHICLES ALONG A RAILWAY.

' LIO TIO PI E v APP A N L D NOV 10,1905 HHEBTkSHmZT 2 nrurnn sra rns Parana errion.

MATTH'IAS M FVAN ASCII VAN WYOKJOF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO TH IQ UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SvVISSV ALE, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. Y

CONTROL OF APPARATUISVGOVERNING THE PASSAGE F, CARS 0R VEHICLES ALONG A RAILWAY.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS M. VAN Ason VAN WYoK, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Control of Apparatus Governing the Passageof Carsor Vehicles Along a Railway, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the control of ap paratus governing the passage of cars or vehicles along a railway.

My invention more particularly relates to the control of that form of apparatus gener ally known in the art as trainst0ps. This apparatus is preferably automatic in its operation and comprises a trip which has at least two positions, one of which I will herein term its operative or danger position and the other of which its inoperative or clear position, a suitable form of motor for moving the trip from its operative to its inoperative position, and suitable means for controlling the supply of motive power to the motor. The trip is preferably moved to its operative position by gravity when power or energy employed to hold it in itsinoperative position is cutoff from the train-stop, though, if desired, suitable means may be employed for this purpose. The cutting ofi of the supply of power to the motor of the apparatus is generally through an electrically operated device, and in this invention it is intended that when a circuit on a device is closed power will be supplied to .move and hold the trip in its inoperative position and when the same circuit is opened such power will be out off and the trip will move or be moved to its operative pdsition- I havenot herein illustrated any'specific form of train-stop, as my inventionrelates more particularly to the control of such apparatus, and therefore any form of such apparatus comprising the parts hereinbefore employed may be used. A function of the apparatus is to automatically set the brakes or a car or train or shut off the motor-power from the car or train motors, or both, should 5 'a car ortrain proceed past a dan er-point Without authority. This is genera ly accomplished by-having the trip engage and operate an .arm or arms c'arriediby the car or train,"

Specification of Letters Eatent. Application filed November 10, 1905. Serial No. 286,641.

Patented May 1, 1906 which arm operates apparatus provided in the braking or power system of the train or otherwise affects such braking or power system. I have not herein illustrated any such arrangement on a car or train, as there are many and are'well understood in the art.

I will nowproceed to describe a system of control for such apparatus embodying my invention and will point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figune 1 1s 'a diagrammatical view of a'portion of a railway, railway-signals located at points along the railway, a train-stop located at each signal-point, and a portion of an arrangement of circuits embodying my invention for controlling the operation of the train-stops. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a different condition of some of the circuits and parts due to the presence of a train. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modification of the circuits ofFig. 1. Ifig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but i1 ustratmg a 'difi'erent condition of some of the circuits have shown one of the two traffic or running rails divided by insulation a to form the blocksection, though, if desired, both of the traffic or running rails may be so divided. I have illustrated three block-sections 2, 3, and 4 and portions of two others, 1 and 5. At the entrance ends of the block-sections I locate,

preferably, an automatic railway-signal of any approved semaphore type. S S, &c., designate such railway-signals. each railway-signal is provided with two semaphores, one, 8; being a home signal and the other, 8; being a distant signal. This arrangement of the semaphores in a railwaysignal is well-known in the art and need not be. described. If desired, only one semaphore may be used at the entrance end of the blocksection. The semaphores are shown as being usually in their position indicating danger. I prefer to have the railway-signals automatically controlled by the passage of a train along the railway, and therefore any ofthe As shown,

,welleknown railway signaling systems em tfippmg-arm, a motor .operatively connected with the trip, and a device to control the supply of motive power to the motor. A form of trip which may conveniently be used .is illustrated in Fig. 19 of'Unit-ed'States Patent No. 769,058, issued August 30, 1904, to J. P.

Coleman, E being the motor connected with the trip, and C the device to control the supply of motive power to the motor. In the drawings, t t t, &c., designate the trip or tri -arm.

he home semaphore s of each railwaysignal is arranged to operate a circuit-controller C, which is embodied in the system of control for the train-stops. It may be of anyjdesired type and construction. When the home semaphore s is in its danger position of indication, the circuitcontroller is open, and when the home semaphore s is moved to its clear position of indication the circuit-controller is closed. The openingand closing of the circuit-controller is preferably effected by thesemaphore in its movements.

B B designate line-wires, one a feeder and the other a return, constituting a part of a circuit which also includes a suitable source of current. (Not shown.) These line-wires extend along the line of railway and supply current to the different devices and comprised in the control system.

In this form of my invention the trips or circuits I trip-arms t t t, &c., usually stand in their operative or. danger positionthat is, in such position'that they will engage and operate an arm or arms carried by the cars or trains to set the brakes or cut off the motive power or perform both functions. This may e said to be their usual position. v This is an advantage in that no matter what disarrangement occurs in the signaling system, which might cause a false indication'of a si nal or signals or in the system of control or the train-stops, all trips will be in their operative position. As a train roceeds along therailway it successively, s ould traiiic conditions warrant it, which traflic conditions are usually indicated by the positions of the semaphores, causes each trip in advance of it to be moved to its inoperative position, and. when the rear of atrain has passed a train-stop the tri thereof returns to its danger position, as

be hereinafter described.

The railwaysignals are also made to move to their clear osition of indication, should 'trai'iic conitions'warrant, as the train'approaches and again to their danger position after a train has passed. Thus the positions of the semaphores and trips may be made to correspond.

Referring now articularly to Figs. 1 and 2, R R R, &c.,.c esignate relays, one'relay relay is provided withan armature, which when attracted abuts against what is generally termed two front contacts) This "construction of a relay is well understood in the art, the two contacts being in separate circuits, which are electrically independent of one another. In the drawings I have diarammatically illustrated this arrangement for each relay by two armatures 1" 1" and two contact-points. One of these contacts is included in two circiiits'for the train-stop,

one of which I will hereinafter term a main train-stop circuit and the other of which I .being provided for each train-stop. Each will hereinafter term a supplemei'mal Fig. 1 illustrates the usual condition of the circuits, railway-signals, the circuit-controllers, and the trip-arms of the train-etops that is, they are in their operative position.

The railway-signal S controls the entry of and passage of cars or.trains along the blocksection 2, the railway-signal S, the blocksection 3, and so on. Train-stopT uards block-section 2, train-sto '1" guards locksection 3, and so on. T e main circuit for the relay for any one train-stop includes the circuit-controller on the railway-signal ad jacent which the stop is located. Each such circuit may be traced as, follows: starting from the line wire B itis wire 7, circuit-controller C, wires 8 9 1 0, relay R R, &c., and wire 12 to line-wire B The main train-st0p circuit for any train-stop includes the circuitcontroller on the railwaysignal adjacent which the stop is located. Eachsuch circuit may be traced as follows: starting'fromthe line-wire B it is wire 7, circuit controller C, wires 8 9 18, armature r of r'elayR R, &c., wires' 17 15, armature 1" of relay R R, &c., wire 16, train-stop T T, &c., to ground 6r to the line-wire B. Each supplemental relaycircuit may be traced as follows: starting from the line-wire Bit is wires 7'13, armature of and back contact of track-rela TR TR, &c.; wires 14 17, armature 1' of re ay R R, &c., wires 18 10, relay R R &c., and wire 12 to the line-wire B. Each supplemental train-stop circuit may be traced as follows:

starting from the line-wire B it is wires 7 13,

armature and back contact of trackrelay TR TR, &c., wires 14 15, armature r of relay R R, &c., wire 16, and train-stop toxg'round or line-wire B. will thus be seen that all circuits. (exclusive of the track-circuits) con- .rectly on the train-stops are open thetrip 'arms of all the train-stops will be in nected with any train; stop or stops are open" at one or more points, and as the circuits ditheir operative position.

'The operation of the system of control-illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: As soon as a car or train enters a block-section, and I wish it understood that wherever I use the Words car or trainI mean a vehicle of any description traveling along the railway either as a unit or a train of two or more units, the. track-relay for that block-section will be short-circuited and by d-ro ping its armature will close signal-circuits. not shown) on'the railway-signal which it is approaching, as well as the railway-signal next in advance, and thus have these rail'waysignals move their appropriate semaphores (should conditions wari ant) to their clear position of indication. For example, in 'Fig. 1 assume a train in block-section 2 and approaching block-section 3.

As soon as the train entered block-section .2 the track-relay thereof being short-circuited dropped its armature and closed a, circuit or-circuits on railway-signal S to have it mpve 1ts semaphores to the r "clear osltion, as well as a circuit or circuits on rai way-signal S to have it move its home to their danger position. Of course this 07-- der of operation of the railway-signals may be varied to suit various conditions, all of which is well understood in the art. However, the clearing of a home semaphore or semaphores has a bearing on the present invention in that it closes the initial circuit in the system of control to have one or more trip-arms in advance moved to their clear or inoperative position. The condition of the railway-signals hereinbefore described is illus- "f'trated in Fig. 2.

as being in block-section 3 and as advanc- A train T is ,shown ing toward block-section 4. As soon as the train T entered block-section 3 it short circuited the track-relay thereof and caused it to close signal-circuits on railway-signals S S as hereinbefore described, to have them move their home semaphores to their clear position, thereby closing their circuit-controllers C to close the main relay and trainstop circuits.

tered block-section 3 it caused the railway- As soon also as the train ensignal S to haveits semaphores move to their danger position, and thus opened the main relay and train-stop circuits, but at about the same time closed the supplemental relay and train-stop circuits by short-circuiting the track-relay TR to have it drop its armature onto its back contact. Thus the trip of train-stop T will be held in its clear or inoperative position until the train '1 moves completely out of block-section 3.

In Figs. 3 and 4 by the use of an additional wire 20 I am enabled to have the trip of a train-stop move to its danger or operative position so soon as a train has completely passed itthat is, with a normal danger system of signaling. The arrangement'of the same as in Figs. 1 and 2; but the supplemental relay and train-stop circuits are controlled by. the tiack-relay preceding any train-stop. For example, the supplemental relay and train-stop circuits for the relay It and train supplemental relay-circuit may be traced as follows: starting from line-wire B, it iswires 7 13, armature. and back contact of a trackrelay TR, &c., wires 14 2O 17, armature 1' of a relay R R, &c., Wires 18 10, relayB R, &c., and wire 12 to line-wire B. A supplemental train-stop circuit is the same as the above, except that from wire 20 it is wire 15, armature r of relay R R, &c., wire 16, trainstop to ground or back to line-wire B. With this arrangement as soon as a train con.- pletely leaves a block-section the track-relay of that block-section attracts itsarniature to open the supplemental relay and train-stop circuits, thus having the tri move to its dan- -ger or operative position be ind a train.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 what I have herein termed the supplemental relay and train-stop circuits may be employed to 11" ove and hold the trip of a train-stop in advance of a trainin its clear or inoperativeposition. For example, (see Fig. 4,) the train .T in block-section 3 by shortcircuiting' the track-relay TR closes the supplemental relay-circuit of relay T, which in picking up its armature -closes the supplemental train-stop circuit at that point for train-stop T It will be understood, ofcourse, that in the application of my invention, to existing signaling systems many 'of the wires or condu'ctors and apparatus used in such systems may be used in common with the wires or conductors and apparatus involved in my invention.

It will be seen, therefore, that my invention in its broadest aspect comprises a train-stop, the trip of which is usually in its operative position, and means aflected by a train for fifstcalisiifgtlie train-stop to move its trip to its inoperative position and afterward or at a later period of time to again have the trainmain relay and train-stop circuits is the stop T are controlled from track-relay TR. A I

stop move its trip to its operative position. In the preferred arrangement and viewed in its broadest aspect I provide a circuit for the train-stop which is usually open and close this circuit by means which are aifected by a train. This is true of course only when the railway-signals give indications that the train may proceed along the several block-sections. The means for opening and closing the circuit may be a track-relay or a railway-signal acting upon a circuit including a relay (R R,

&c.,) or equivalent device to open and close the circuit or both a relay and a railway-signal. In the preferred arrangement and viewed in an aspect slightly narrower than the aforesaid broad aspect I provide an open circuit for the train-stop which is opened and closed by a relay or other equivalent device, which relay or other device is included a plurality of usually open circuits, both of which are closed either entirely simultaneously or at different periods of time by means (which may be either a track relay or relays,

or a railway-signal or railway-signals) affected by a train to have the train-stop move its trip to its inoperative position and opened by the same means simultaneously or one by the said same means at one period, at the other at a later period by the same or different means, which latter means are also affected by a or the same train.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with railway-signals the semaphores of which are usually in theirdanger position of indication, a train-stop the trip ofwhich is usually in its danger or operative position adjacent each railway-signal, an open circuit for each train-stop, and means aiiected by a train for closing said circuits to have the train-stop move its trip to its clear or inoperative position.

2. In. combination with railway-signals,

4. In combination with a block-section of a railway,-a railway-signal fof each block-section the home semaphore of which is usually in its danger position, a train-stop for said block-section the trip of which is usually n its danger or operative position, an open circuit forsaid train-stop, a device for closing said circuit controlled by a train, and means affected by a train to operate said device to have itopen said circuit after it has passed the train-sto 5. In com ination with a block-section of a railway, a railway-signal therefor the home semaphore of which is usually in its danger position, a train-stop therefor, the trip of which is usually in its operative position, an open main circuit for said train-stop, a relay for opening, and closing said main train-stop circuit, a main and supplemental circuit, both 0 enffor said relay, the main circuit being c osed'when said semaphore moves to its clear position, and means aliected by a train for closing said supplemental relay-circuit and at a later time for again opening said circuit.

6. In combination wlth a series of sections of a railway, railway-signals for controlling the passage "of cars or trains along the sections, the semaphores of which are-usually in their danger position, a series of train-stops, the trips of which are usually in their operative positions, and means actuated by a train traveling along the railway for successively causin one or more semaphores to move to their 0 ear position, and one or more stops to their inoperative position and later to have the semaphores in its rear to move to their danger position and the stops to their operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s eoification in the presence of two subscribe witnesses.

'MJM. VAN ASCH VAN WYCK.

Witnesses:

GEo. E. CRUsE, A. HERMAN WEGNER. 

